Signal system for elevators and other conveyers



SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS AND OTHER GONVEYERS INVENT R I J. FEAR Filed March 2, 1926 Feb. 9, 1932.

Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD J. FEAR, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ELEVATOR SUPPLIES COMPANY, INC., OF HOIBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS AND OTHER CONVEYERS Application filed March 2, 1926. Serial No. 91,722.

This invention relates to means for signaling the order of departure of moving bodies from a starting point, and is particularly well suited for elevators; in which connection its use causes more rapid and satisfactory handling of the trafiic in buildings of considerable height and a considerable number of elevators.

One of the objects is to provide at all times a signal within view of prospective passengers which will inform the passengers which car is to be the next to leave the terminal floor.

This constitutes a decided improvement over present systems wherein at best only a momentary signal is given, usually by means of a bell when a car is about to leave the terminal floor. With systems of this type passengers arriving between these momentary signals have no positive way of knowing which is the proper car to take.

In a great many cases confusion arises among elevator passengers when several cars are at the ground or terminal floor as to which is to be the first care to leave. By employing my novel apparatus this confusion will be eliminated and the service between floors speeded up commensurately. i

Other novel features and advantages to be derived from my invention will appear from the following description, taken in conjunction with the drawing, wherein the figure represents diagrammatically my apparatus as applied to a bank of four elevator cars.

In the drawing the ground floor entrances for four elevators are shown respectively at 1, 2, 3 and 4. Over each of these entrances, or at some other convenient point, is placed a signaling means, preferably an illuminated sign, adapted when illuminated to indicate to the passenger that the corresponding car is to be the next car to leave. lVhen illuminated the appearance will be as shown at 7 which represents the signal for the third car in the illuminated condition the signals for the other cars being shown in the off position at 5, 6 and 8 respectively.

Electric illuminating means are provided in these signs, such as, for example, a pair of incandescent lamps, as indicated in dash lines in the drawing.

In series electrically with these incandescent lamps, which by their operation cause the display of the signals, are contact making devices 10, 11, 12 and 13 respectively. These contact making devices are shown in the form of metallic fingers adapted to make contact with mercury pots 15, 16, 17 and 18 respectively. Inasmuch as the mechanism controlling the contact device is the same for each car, it will be necessary to completely describe only that associated with one of the cars.

Finger 10 is attached to an armature 20 associated with magnet 21 and adapted to be attracted thereto upon the passing of current thru said magnet. The drawings show the armature in the attracted position, in which position the armature 22 associated with magnet 23 acts as a locking member, thereby holding finger 10 out of the mercury. Upon the energization, however, of magnet 23, armature 22 will be attracted to a position in which it is no longer possible to prevent the falling of finger 10 by gravity into the mercury, thereby making a closed connection in a circuit presently to be described. This particular form of relay control contact is well known in the art, has proven reliable and is preferably used to accomplish my object. 7

Associated with the cars are the usual commutator or switching devices, the one for the first car being shown at 25 in the drawing. 26 represents the movable contact member (usually termed a brush) adapted to travel with a straight line motion corresponding to that of car 1, but considerably slower; member 26 being driven by a speed reduction mechanism of the type wellknown in the art, and shown and described in many patents, notably patents to Smalley & Reiners 634,220 and to Oollett 634,229 granted Oct. 3, 1899. Because of the familiarity which all persons skilled in the elevator art have with this commutator mechanism, the diagrammatic illustration presented in the drawings is believed to be sutficient for the purposes of this disclosure, and to avoid unnecessary protraction of the description. I

Contact member 26 is preferably so mounted on its revolving screw-shaft (shown in the above-mentioned patents) that it will make contact with feed strip 27 continuously in the upward movement of the associated car, and also with contact segment 28 at a point in its motion corresponding preferably to a point in the cars movement just Similarly the same conditions will govern the, commutators for the other three cars, and the manner of operation will be identical.

30, 31, 32 and 33 represent doublethrow switches, there being one for each car.

The principal parts of my apparatus having now been described, the manner of operation will be followed through:

Assuming that it is desired to dispatch the four cars in their order from the terminal floor 9, the double throw switches 30, 31, 32 and 33 will be in the up position, as shown in the drawing. As indicated by the position of the contact arms for the various commutating devices car 2 is just leaving the ground or terminal floor, the other three cars being in other positions along their respective hatches. In this position of car 2 brush 35 closes a circuit passing as follows:

From conductor leading from the source of current, (preferably low voltage), thru conductors 41 and 42, relay 43, conductors 44 and 45, segment 46, contact arm 35, feed strip 47, thence back thru conductor 48 to the other side of the source of current by way of conductor 49. The energization of relay 43 thus produced causes armature to be attracted to the position shown in the drawing, thereby withdrawing contact linger 11 from mercury pct 16, breaking the circuit which had formerly passed therethrough to signal 6. Consequently signal 6 will be extinguished.

Another circuit, however, will be completed due to the position of brush 35, which circuit will pass as follows:

From conductor 40 thru conductors 41 and 42, thence thru conductor 53, contacts of switch 32, conductor 54, relay 55, conductor 56, left-hand contacts of switch 32, thence thru conductors 57, 44, 45, contact 46', brush 35, feed strip 47, thence back thru conductors 48 and 49 to the source of current. The energization of relay thus produced causes its armature to be attracted, thereby releasing armature associated with relay 61 and allowing finger 12 to make contact the associated car is to be the nextcar to leave 7 the ground floor (and regardless of its present position in the hatch). This signal will remain until car 3 moves away from the' ground floor, at'which time its brush 68 will cause circuits to be completed to relays 61 and 70, thereby withdrawing contact 12 and allowing contact 13 to be made. Withdrawal of contact 12 will extinguish signal 7 while the making of contact 13 will illuminate sig nal 8 in a manner similar to that described above. Thus it will be seen that only one of the signals 5 to 8 will be illuminated at one time, but upon the extinguishing of the il-' luminated signal (which extinguishing occurs when the associated car moves away from the ground floor) the signal for the next car in succession will be immediately illuminated.

If it is desired to cut out oneor more cars from service the double throw switch for the corresponding car is thrown to the down position, thereby disconnecting the associated signal. For example, if it is desired to cut car 2 out. of service, switch 31 will be thrown to its other position with the'result that'when car 1 moves away from the terminal floor, instead of completing a circuit to relay 29, it will complete a circuit to relay 55, thereby causing the illumination of signal 7 rather than signal 6, with the result that all prospective passengers are immediately informed that car 3 rather than car 2 will be the'neXt car to leave.

If so desired, the operation of the relay mechanisms may be controlled by switches in the hatches just above the terminal floor, instead of by the commutators described here in. Such switches would be arranged to make electrical contact when struck by the respective cars as they travel upward; the circuit to be subsequently reopened preferably by spring pressure. I prefer, however, to use a commutator device rather than to incur the disadvantages inherent in mechanism placed in the path of the cars travel.

Other constructions, arrangements, and

adaptations of the parts involved may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention, as disclosed herein, and as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a signal system for a plurality of cars to be dispatched from a terminal landing in a predetermined order, means for informing prospective passengers at the terminal landing which car is to depart first, said means comprising an individual signal for each car, an electric circuit to each signal, means for causing the operation of the signal for the car to depart first comprising a circuit holding device for the circuit to said signal, and means controlled by the departure of said car for withdrawing said circuit holding device whereby the latter is rendered inefiective for holding the circuit to said signal, and means also controlled by the departure of the car to render effective the circuit holding device for the circuit to the signal associated with the car to leave next.

2. In a signal system for a plurality of cars having a predetermined sequence of departure from a given floor level, an individual signal means for each car for giving a signal when energized that the associated car is the next to depart the floor level, a car controlled means for each car for deenergizing the signal means associated therewith as the car leaves the floor level and individual means for each car connected to the car controlled means of the car which precedes it in departure for energizing the signal means therefor to indicate that its assoclated car is the next to depart in accordance with the predetermined sequence.

3. In a signal system for a plurality of cars arranged to depart from a terminal floor in a predetermined sequence, an individual signal means at the terminal floor for each car, and interconnected car controlled control means for the individual signal means, whereby the signal means for the car first to depart is energized and whereby that signal means is simultaneously deenergized as its associated car departs and the signal means for the next car to depart in accordance with the predetermined sequence is energized.

Signed at Hoboken, N. J February 27, 1926.

HAROLD J. FEAR. 

